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By
DAVID PIKE
When the Alfasud 1.2ti was first introduced it was hailed as one of the
world's best and most popular small sedans. With the introduction of the
bigger-engined and facelifted 1.5ti the car's reputation went even
higher. Externally the changes were not significant; a keen eye could
spot the differences such as the change in styling of the rear spoiler,
the addition of a front air dam and the black moulded wheel arch flares.
The car was also slightly longer and slightly wider but the same
wheelbase was maintained.
The 1.5-litre, twin cam, horizontally-opposed
four-cylinder engine turned out 59 kW at 5800 rpm and a torque of
117 Nm at 3500 rpm. The European engine was somewhat better than
this as it did not suffer performance loss due to emission
control. The Alfasud was one of those rare cars which was fun to
drive at any time, under any circumstances, whether it be on the
highway, commuting to the office and back, running up to the shops
or simply driving around the suburbs. You could drive it sedately,
quietly changing through the gears and idling along in third,
fourth or fifth around the city at low revs just moving with the
pace of the traffic; or you could treat it in the manner for which
it was designed and work the five-speed gearbox to its limit.
The gearbox in the Alfasud was firm and responsive
allowing for easy gear selection whether travelling fast or slow.
The pedal cluster was set up almost perfectly for fast heel and
toe changes, another consideration of the car's performance
breeding. And yet the Sud would regularly return a very
respectable 11.4 litres per 100km.
Despite its front wheel drive the Alfasud had
incredible handling, helped no doubt by the Pirelli P3 radials
which kept everything right where it should be - on the ground!
Suspension up front was by Macpherson struts with helicoidal
springs and anti-roll bar. The back too was the same with a rigid
axle with Watts linkages on each side and a giant Panhard rod to
prevent sideways movement.
The Alfasud earned the title of the world's
roomiest small car and certainly lived up to that reputation. Its
inside dimensions as a full five-seater sedan were totally
contradicted by its diminutive exterior. However, once inside you
were amazed by the amount of room - there was no sensation of
closeness - the headroom and clearance were superb and the rear
seat legroom comparable to that of many much larger sedans.
Another surprise was the capacity of the boot.
While the sloping fastback style tail of the car would indicate
only a tiny boot, it was in fact, again, as big as that of many
other larger cars. It was deep, wide and easily accessible as the
entire rear panel lifted to reveal a floor level with the bottom
of the bumper bar.
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